


Nico is Nico

by InterPlanetaryGirl



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: But he's still a dork, Fluff, For Percy, Kissing, Lots of kissing, Love, M/M, Nico is a Dork, Nico is heir to the mafia, Nico kills people, Percy is also a dork, Rachel is amazing, They attack percy, cute dates, mafia!au, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-27
Updated: 2016-06-27
Packaged: 2018-07-18 16:11:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7321900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InterPlanetaryGirl/pseuds/InterPlanetaryGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Such a gentleman." </p>
<p>    "Always."</p>
<p>***<br/>Nico needs to kill a guy, Gabe Ugliano, because he's a bastard surrounded by bastards trying to steal money from them, the Family. Except, even though he has help from his wife, he quickly fell for her son and dragged the job out longer than necessary just to spend time with him, partly. But does he even know he's heir to the mafia?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nico is Nico

**Author's Note:**

> So I've read a few Mafia!AU's and I loved them, so I wanted to write one myself and see how well I did. However, I also didn't want it to just be mafia related stuff, because no matter their ages they always act all grown up, even if they're 17/18, so I wanted to show a relationship which is still quite a teenager one, them acting the way they do, so please enjoy

Nico walked into the quaint little café with pride and posture, dressed as casually as he could manage without being too out of his comfort zone, and sat down in his seat (though it had only recently become his). He was here for one reason, and one reason only: to ask out the son of the owner, Sally, who was also his mother, and baker/cook/waiter there, Percy Jackson. 

 

The boy was everything he could want, and more, with lean, tanned arms, overall good body structure and strength, gorgeous eyes Nico felt like he could get lost forever in - like the ocean itself, he pointed out to himself one time - gorgeous but messy jet black hair, sweet smile as well as a sweet and adoring personality. It was hard to not fall for him. 

 

The main reason he was here in the first place was because he needed to know more about his step-father, more from staking it out. He was only meant to be here once, maybe twice. But he was speaking to Sally one time about her husband, something she agreed to of her own free will he likes to mention, and she introduced him to her son, Percy. He'd just come back from...somewhere, and was dripping wet from the rain outside but was still bright-eyed and smiley. Nico had gulped and that was that. He was gone as soon as Percy spoke. 

 

It was two months later and he had fallen harder for the boy while still trying to do his job - except the bastard never came home in the day. Nico still went though, but in the evening instead now. 

 

It was simple, the reason why he was doing this. Percy's step-father had made a contract with Nico's father, the Italian mafia boss, and now he was breaking it as sneakily as possible. Nico was told to find out just what he was doing and take him out. Simple. With the only complication being that people rarely saw the man and so, at first, Percy was the only way to possibly get to him. That idea was ditched a couple of weeks after forming, but still.

 

Not that Nico minded. Plus, what helped, was that Percy was oblivious to his title as heir to the mafia - since he told him the name that only those closest to him called him, rather than what the city and most of the mafia knew him as - Niccólo. 

 

Nobody else was in at this moment, suprising considering usually Nico has to wait to even get a lick of attention from Percy in the middle of the day. All the better for Nico then. Except that he wasn't out in the café and cleaning the tables like when nobody else was in, and Nico couldn't see him anywhere. So Nico went over to the kitchen door, looking in the small window to see Percy with his face away from the door as he worked, so he knocked lightly as he pushed it to walk in. 

 

"Hey, Perce, you okay?" Nico spoke quietly, careful to not disturb the work he was doing, but Percy just nodded his head as he continued to work. "Where's your mother, doesn't she usually work too?" 

 

"Yeah, but she's, ah..sick, today. Can't come." Percy shrugs lightly despite how unsure his voice sounded at the words, still working. 

 

"Oh. Right. Well, Percy, I wanted to ask you if you were free after you closed up here today? So I could maybe take you out for a coffee or something?" he asked, actually nervous for the answer. 

 

"I...really shouldn't. No offence Nico, I would love to go out with you another time, but maybe not when my mother is sick. I hope you understand." Percy looked guilty but apologetic and truthful nonetheless, and Nico completely understood just how important family was to Percy and so smiled brightly. 

 

"Of course, that's totally fine, I do wish her the best recovery." Nico says, moving slightly as Percy moves to the oven to put in what he was making. "Another time then, mio amore." Percy blushed, and Nico almost revelled in the ability to do that to Percy. 

 

"Thanks, she'll probably be fine tomorrow, if not then the day after. But I'll tell her you stopped by." Percy went to the front of the café and Nico followed. For the rest of the day they talked, it was only a couple of hours, and only another few customers came in meaning that Nico and Percy could still talk mostly. 

 

Because Percy didn't know anything about his work being heir to the mafia, he tried to be subject neutral and not mention any names, especially those Percy might recognise in passing. Mostly, he tried to talk of the time he spent with his sister and what he did when he wasn't learning from his father how to run the business. Percy himself mostly spoke of his baking, and what he did with his friends in any free time he got between working at the café and trying to stay out of the way of his step-father. 

 

Nico didn't like Percy's step-father for this personal reason, as well as just generally because he was low-life who thought he could get away with stealing from the mafia. But while Percy never said it aloud, and Nico never pried, he was sure that the man was treating Percy awfully, and his mother too (she never said anything either). Probably just because he thought he could. The man was nothing to him, to the mafia, and to Percy, but he had to put up with living with him while despising him. Percy knows of  _ his _ connection to the mafia, only because he seems to brag about it often, and Nico chuckled to himself when Percy's eyes had widened the first time he mentioned it, but Nico swore he wouldn't tell anybody. 

 

Five minutes after closing, Nico stood and stretched from the stool he was sat on by the counter, before speaking. "I should probably go, or else my sister will worry where I am and the like." Percy nodded, also standing to show Nico out. Before turning to leave, Nico placed a kiss on his cheek, whispering "Until the day after tomorrow, mio amore," before leaving and immediately turning left to go to where he parked his car earlier in the afternoon. 

 

Percy locked up soon after that before walking up the stairs in the back of the kitchen to the apartment. For as long as he could remember, he had lived here. Well, that was a lie actually, there was a time when he was extremely small, barely walking, where he and his mother had lived in a house at the other side of town. But then his father had left them and they moved into the apartment. The café was already theirs, as it was his grandparents before they died and left it to his mother, but they'd never made use of the apartment upstairs, and with only one income now it seemed more efficient to live there as well as work, in Sally's eyes. 

 

She was right, of course, when wasn't she? Only when she married his pig of a step-father, for a reason still unknown to Percy. Whenever he asked, she would give a dismissive answer and he would leave it, not wanting to push her too far after everything she had done for him. The guy went and spent any extra money he had, mostly taken from the café before he left for the day, on booze while he got drunk off his ass before gambling and taking care of some equally low-life mafia business to then come home. Except, now, he was stealing from the mafia. He knew it, his mother knew it, and he was damn well sure that the  _ mafia _ knew it. So it was only a matter of time before something happened. 

 

His only restbite from this, was baking in the day. It was his most favourite thing and he loved it more than anything. It was only him and his mom, he loved it that way. 

 

He went to check on his mother, before doing anything else, once he got upstairs and unlocked the door. Earlier, when he told Nico she was ill, he was lying. It just so happened that the night before last Gabe had been even more rough than usual when he beat his mother once he came home. Percy had been asleep at first, only woken by his mother's pained screams as Gabe manhandled her and began to beat her. Percy was able to get him off her after some time, but she had severely bruised her ribs with other bruising all over her body. He got off lightly, for once, Gabe being drunk enough to only be out when Percy pushed him hard and smacked his head into the wall behind him. So his mother was on bedrest for a couple of days. 

 

This time he wanted to desperately ask his mother why she stayed with the man still, even now, but held himself back and simply sat at her bedside while she finished reaading what she was. 

 

"How was it today?" She asked. 

 

"Quieter than usual." Percy shrugged. 

 

"And your friend, did he come by?" She smiled at him slyly, knowing that he was falling hard for the boy who came to visit regularly. 

 

"Yes." 

 

"And?" 

 

"He asked me out." Percy looked away as he smiled, blushing. 

 

"Oh how sweet of him! And did you accept?" She raises her eyebrows, voice stern as he looks back at her. 

 

"Yes." 

 

"But?" 

 

"I said not today, and I would wait a couple of days until you were back and working." 

 

"Percy! How dare you give up a date with him tonight to come home and talk with me! Next time, no excuses, you are accepting that date no matter what, you hear me!" Sally's eyes bore into her son, making him squirm under the pressure as he simply nods. "Good, now, be a dear and fetch me something to eat before you tell me more about him because I want to actually know something with substance to it aside from how dreamy his eyes are and how good he looks in shirts." Sally laughed as he walked out of the room, knowing her son is a little more than crushing on the mafia heir. And she knew he was the mafia heir. He'd threatened Gabe one time when she went to the bar he was at when she went to give him some more cigars he'd forgotten to bring, and he had sworn down on his sister's grave that should he do anything more to insult the family in such a way, he would personally be responsible for his death. 

 

Then he'd apologized to Sally rather sheepishly, upon seeing her wide eyes and just how shocked and afraid she was of him, but he promised no harm would come to her. She was thankful for that, especially when he then escorted her out and drove her home. 

 

At first, when she'd married Gabe, she was in a bad place and he was just...the best option? Honestly she hadn't been in her right mind to get involved with him. But now she stayed with him because she helped Nico whenever he came and Percy wasn't in the room, and one of these days he promised that he would no longer be a part of this world. She also had to admit that it felt very good to go behind his back like she does, it gave her a smug feeling as well as pride. Somewhere in the back of her mind she realised she probably shouldn't feel proud to help the mafia, but she dismissed it because she was usually congratuating herself on her moral rightness. And if it got rid of Gabe for good, then all the better. 

 

Percy came back in the room, carrying a plate stacked with sandwiches for the pair, and also two slices of cake - the cake was a plain cake, though violet coloured sponge was drizzled throughout, with similar coloured icing in between the two slices and on top, topped further with blue and purple smarties. While they were eating, Percy told her things with substance about Nico, being careful to not eat with his mouth open. 

 

Sally watched her son with hopeful eyes, hoping that he would truly get something he loved from a relationship with Nico, as well as some _ body _ he loved. Clearly he was halfway there already. 

 

Percy went to sleep in his room not long after talking to her, not having much else to talk about, but neither minded, and Sally told him she wanted to continue her book before sleeping herself, so he left her be. Gabe didn't come back that night, Percy was eternally greatful for that. 

 

The next day was slightly busier than yesterday, but Percy didn't mind and enjoyed being preoccupied as much as he was, barely noticing how Nico didn't come in that day. Not that he was relying on him to - he didn't come in every day, and that was fine, because Percy didn't  _ need _ him to be there or something. Plus, because it was only him it meant that he was a little busier than what he might usually be. When customers mostly left after the end of the lunch rush, he was speaking to his friend Rachel. She was working on an art piece for college, the photography unit specifically, and she was told she had to capture something homely but unique. 

 

So Rachel, "naturally", chose Percy and his mother's café. "It has an amazing homely feel, but still had the ability to capture something unique in it," she told him for the umpteenth time since asking his permission to do so. 

 

"I mean, I guess? I just don't really see it the way you do I guess." Percy shrugs at her. 

 

"Of course not, you only see it as your home. You've grown used to it, and the people that come here. Since I only come here every few days, and haven't been here virtually my entire life like you, I can see something unique in what I see." Rachel tells him, as though it's a matter of fact and there's no argument to it. 

 

"Or, and just here me out here, you're an artist and so have somekind of magical artist's eye to capture something that isn't there and use magical powers to make it appear there."

 

"Or that." Rachel agreed, laughing a little. "But look at some of these though," she said, putting the camera screen between them to flick through the pictures. 

 

There was a side shot of a couple sat at the counter earlier, the man looked ecstatic at whatever the woman had said, and she was smiling warmly at him with tears seeming to form in her eyes. The next was of Percy when he was picking up one of the children that came in often. She was still too small to sit up on the high chairs at the counter and Percy was laughing in it, at some of the actions she was doing prior to being picked up and placed on a chair by him, she was pouting while holding the teddy under her arm with a lolly in her mouth. She was a sweet kid. Rachel also took some from just in front of the counter, looking out of the window to the streets. Those were pretty regular shots of streets and people, but still, there was something both unique and homely about the photos. 

 

"Okay, you proved your point." Percy tells her. "Shouldn't you be getting to the computer suite to edit them then." He points out the clock to her, knowing that it was only open slots for her until five, and it was now three. She shot up, nearly dropping her camera and spilling the things from her bag in the process before rushing out with a quick goodbye over her shoulder as she almost ran into the door, before then nearly tripping over it too. Percy could only shake his head fondly as he went back to behind the counter so grab the stuff so he could clean the tables before more people came in around dinner. 

 

Not many people usually come in between four and seven, but they do get some, mostly their regulars, who always like to talk with both Percy and Sally. All of them were friendly, so Percy didn't mind giving up his free time to talk to them.  

 

Overall there is a small feeling of disappointment since Nico never came in today, but he brushes it off because from the sounds of what he's told, he is rather busy most of the time, and would try and make it in tomorrow to make up for it. Percy locked up for the night just as the side door opened and he could hear Gabe stumbling into the kitchens so sighed. He wasn't ready for this, he couldn't be bothered with him right now, but knew it would be better him than his mother. She might be able to work again tomorrow, and he didn't need Gabe to worsen her condition to force her to need to go to hospital. So he, kind of, sort of, interceded. By simply walking into the kitchen he made Gabe's eyes, full of fury, turn on him. 

 

Drunkenly, he staggered towards Percy, insulting him and saying how worthless he was. Part of the words stung, mostly he just wanted to roll his eyes, Gabe was pathetic as far as he was concerned, and he seriously hoped that the mafia would find him and kill him sooner rather than later. 

 

Saying as much probably wasn't the smartest thing he could have done, but because Gabe was so drunk, it was easier than usual to avoid his punches. Ultimately he did the only thing he could think of, grabbed a frying pan from where it was left to dry earlier and wack Gabe around the head with it. He went out like a light and collapsed to the floor with a groan. And Grover and Rachel said Disney movies taught nothing to those who had watched them more times than he could count. Pft. Right. 

 

Instead of doing the possibly nice thing of taking him up to the apartment (which would be impossible anyway) he simply sprayed cleaning products over him, at least three while giggling to himself, and made a mental note to clean that spot heavily in the morning before they opened. Gabe would probably have woken by then to either carry himself to his bed, too tired to even try to do anything, or he'd have left to go get drunk again. 

 

Luckily, he was right in the morning, and proceeded to clean the spot as well as the surrounding area just to be safe. What he wasn't expecting to find was how the café was trashed as much as possible when he walked out. For several moments, he just stood there with his jaw dropped before it registered that Gabe had probably done it before leaving, or he'd let his sidekicks in to do it for him. Either way, Percy sighed before cleaning it all up as quickly as possible before his mother came and saw, or customers arrived. For once he was thankful that they didn't open until eight thirty and that he was always an early riser, it now being six thirty and giving him about an hour and a half before he needed to start putting things into the oven so they'd be cooked for when people arrived. 

 

It was fine, he could do this. He set to work, cleaning up everything and rearranging it all from where it had been knocked over. 

 

He was done just in time to put the pastries in the oven, making himself pancakes for breakfast while he was at it - quick and easy to make, simple too. While he was eating them, his mother walked down, limping but smiling, and Percy felt his insides get so much lighter knowing that his mother felt well enough to be out of bed today to work. Not that he needed help, he just knew that she felt more relaxed when working and not sitting around feeling useless. 

 

As customers arrived, they welcomed Sally back and a few of them had a small gossip session with her, Percy having heard this as her substitute for the conversations the past couple of days, while he made their breakfasts. 

 

This was the environment that Sally thrived in, looking much more at home than she ever did in the apartment, and Percy smiled at that himself. 

 

The rest of the day went as normal, except for at four o' clock, when Nico walked in and spoke with Sally, who simply smiled and nodded at his words, before waiting for Percy to finish speaking with some customers and then turning to him and smiling just a little wider as he walked over. 

 

"Hey Nico." Percy greeted. 

 

"Hey, I just spoke to your mother, and she said that I can take you out now." Nico smiled at him proudly, but Percy just gawked for a moment, stuttering out incomprehendable words before just nodding. He took his jacket off the stool behind the counter and slipped it on before following Nico to the door, who opened it and gestured for him to go first, which Percy did so with a blush. Sally simply sighed, smiling after the pair. 

 

Nico walked Percy to his car and opened the door for him there, too, before getting in the driver's seat and starting the car. They didn't go far, only to the Starbucks on the other side of town. There was one just a few streets from the café, so why go this far for one? Nico noticed his look of confusion before coughing awkwardly. 

 

"I kinda..know the manager here, so she agreed to close it to everybody but us." Nico looked away and scratched the back of his head nervously, "Sorry," he said, "I should have asked if it was okay." 

 

"No, no Nico it's fine, honestly, I was just confused for a moment. Thank you for doing that." Percy smiled at him reassuredly before they walked in together, not quite hand in hand, but almost. 

 

"Yeah, well, I wanted us to have somewhere private to have our first date, but I also didn't want to push you out of your comfort zone by taking you to a fancy restaurant or something. I thought this would be a compromise." Nico explained as he went up to the counter, asking Percy what he wanted before relaying the order to the cherokee girl with choppy hair who's badge said her name was Piper; she brightly smiled at them before getting it for them as they sat down. 

 

"It's perfect, thank you, but you really didn't have to go to all this trouble." Percy tells him. 

 

"It's no trouble at all, for you I think." Percy blushed, butterflies in his stomach, Nico grew smug at that. 

 

They spoke as normal, but more on a personal level somehow. Percy loved it, as did Nico. They spoke until it was past even the normal closing time, but neither seemed to mind, too caught up in the other. Percy couldn't help but stare at Nico when he spoke, he was so beautiful. His olive skin was complimented by his black hair, which was wavy and just past his shoulders, and his eyes glimmered with flecks of gold it seemed. They did end the date soon, but more because Piper, looked more tired and ready to sleep than them and they didn't want to keep her up any longer. They apologized as they left, feeling slightly guilty, but the girl waved it off and told them she was happy as long as they enjoyed their date. 

 

It didn't escape Percy's notice how they took the longest way possible to get back to the café as Nico drove, but he really didn't mind, and if anything he took it as a compliment that Nico wanted to make the night last even longer. 

 

Once they arrived, Nico parked right outside, and Percy could see the lights on through the closed blinds. Nico halted him as he reached for the handle, instead getting out of his own and walking swiftly round so he could open Percy's door for him. "Always the gentleman." Percy said as Nico took his hand to pull him out. 

 

"Always." Nico said softly, smirking a little, before kissing Percy. He was slightly taller, despite being a five months younger. Percy knew that he had never kissed anybody, and Nico knew Percy hadn't either, but even for them, this was something that they couldn't have imagined. Nico never thought that he himself would have the guts to do it, but proved himself wrong, especially as he was allowed to slip his tongue into Percy's mouth for a couple of seconds before he pulled away, breathless but never happier. "Okay, I should go." Nico said, whispered, the space between them still small. 

 

"Yeah, maybe." Percy said before reconnecting their lips in a brief kiss and then taking another step back to step around him and go inside. Nico had to stand there for a few moments as he gathered himself together to drive back to his apartment.

 

Sally had waited up for her son to get back before locking up, wanting to hear about how he went, she looked expectant with a sly smile on her face, having suspicions about what Percy would say once he sat down. Once he was sat, he swooned immediately with a dopey smile on his face. "He's such a gentleman." Was the first thing he said, followed by, "And just overall an amazing person. So nice, so caring, so amazing, and kind, and I definitely really really like him so much." All he was able to do was gush  about the date for the next twenty minutes before his mother yawned. "Oh my- mom I am so sorry! You should go upstairs and go to sleep, especially if you want to work tomorrow." It was coming up to eleven thirty, and he knew she liked to function with lots of sleep, even if it wasn't all necessary. 

 

"Okay, alright, I'll go, but you be up soon too, okay?" He agreed and she kissed his cheek before going up to the apartment. Percy stayed down to make a couple of preparations for the morning, before being ready to go up to bed himself. That was until the side door into the kitchen burst open at least, and Gabe walked in followed by two guys he recognised as his poker buddies. Percy sighed, mentally preparing himself, but unable to physically prepare himself before he was restrained by one of them, the biggest of the three, and then used as a fighting dummy for the other two. 

 

This wasn't new, just something that happened when he pushed Gabe too far with his snark and he was ready to make Percy pay for it. All he could do was grit his teeth and try to show them it hurt as little as possible before they simply gave up. It only took them half an hour, some kind of record, before they got bored and Gabe dismissed the other two to leave. 

 

Then, he came incredibly close to Percy, who couldn't hide the fact he gagged at the smell of Gabe and his breath, before he spoke as menacingly as possible to Percy. "Ever disrespect me like that again, wishing me dead, and I will make sure you end up dead in a bush somewhere, got it? I know people kid, I can make it happen." Well Percy was pretty sure that he didn't know people, mostly trying to ignore the threat because he knew nothing would come of it, and just waited for Gabe to back off and go upstairs while he cleaned himself up as much as possible before going up to bed, setting more alarms in the morning because he figured he would need it. 

 

In the morning he woke up stiff and sore from being beaten last night, but he ignored it and got a shower and dressed anyway, putting a hoodie on over his t-shirt to hide the marks on his arms and wrists, before going down to start his usual day. 

 

Nothing interesting happened, really, it was just him and his mother working and serving customers and making food throughout the day until the hour before closing, when Nico walked in too as he usually would. He looked slightly smarter today, wearing a charcoal grey jacket and waistcoat with his shirt, paired with matching pants and black shoes. (This instead of black skinny jeans he would normally wear with his bomber jacket.)

 

Percy gulped as he tried not to stare. 

 

"H-hey." Percy stuttered out, and Nico smiled slightly as he looked at the floor. 

 

"Good evening, mio amore, how are you today?" Nico took his usual seat as he spoke, turning to face Percy who was wiping down a few of the recently vacant tables. 

 

"Fine, I guess, and you?" Percy asked as he moved to sit on the stool behind the counter. 

 

"My day was fine also, slightly rushed, meaning I didn't get the chance to change before I came here, sorry about that." 

 

"No, don't apologize, it's fine." Percy smiled as he spoke, admiring the way Nico looked in his suit. He sighed dreamily. 

 

"I just wanted you to know I hadn't forgotten about you," Nico chuckled slightly. "What with barely having the chance to say goodbye last night." 

 

"Not my fault really." Percy shrugged with a half-smile. 

 

"Perhaps not, but you are slightly at fault yourself if you think about it. Not even giving me a chance to say goodbye." Nico fake-pouted at him. 

 

"I think you said goodnight plenty last night, with the way you had your tongue in my mouth." Percy held back a smile while raising his eyebrows, causing Nico to blush and stick his tongue out. As professional as Nico looked (not forgetting gorgeous and dreamy too) he was still nineteen and acted quite childish often, without realising it normally. 

 

"You didn't seem to mind so much though," Nico said in retaliation. 

 

"Well, of course not. How could I?" Percy smirked as he licked his lips, and Nico's brain stuttered to a halt while he thought of what he could say next, Percy beating him to it anyway. "Hey, so what day are you one-hundred percent, absolutely definitely, going to be here by seven next week?" Nico thought for a moment. 

 

"I am ninety-eight percent, almost definitely, sure I will be here at this time on Wednesday. Most probably. If something comes up then I'll be sure to tell you." Percy nods, and mentally begins making plans of what he can do with Nico, on the same kind of level of what they did last night. "You should give me your number so I can text you if it does, though," Nico says as he smirks, finally having an excuse to get Percy's number. Percy smiles back, before agreeing and taking the phone Nico holds out to him to type it in, getting a text moments later having passed it back, of a winky emoji. Nico winks at him across the countertop as well. 

 

They talked for longer while Sally saw out the remaining customers and shutting the blinds once they'd left, before walking out of the room to work on something in the kitchen to give them some kind of privacy. 

 

After another five minutes, Nico stood up and stretched, bones cracking into place comfortably as he did so. "I should...probably go." Nico says, somewhat regretful in a way. 

 

"Yeah, it's fine, I should probably prepare for tomorrow too." Percy smiled at him and his eyes closed, crinkling at the sides for a second before they were open again and looking at Nico with a mixture of calm and curious as he moved around with the key in his hand for the door once Nico left. 

 

They were at the door, Nico stood to the side, looking in the direction of his car and the back of the café. He turned to Percy as he saw somebody, the somebody he was determined to kill for trying to screw over the mafia, walking across the street and he kissed Percy before he got the chance to object about it, making sure that he wouldn't be seen. Not that Percy minded, very much enjoying the feel of Nico's tongue in his mouth. Nico, too, forgot about why he was doing it as he kissed Percy more, gripping tightly to the edge of his hoodie and t-shirt as he pulled him as close as physically possible, restraining himself from worming his hands under the comfortable fabrics. Percy seemed to be doing the same thing as his arms tightly wound around Nico's neck with his fingers playing with the hairs on the back of his neck. 

 

Occasionally they pulled back to breathe, but it wasn't the first thing on their minds, instead preferring to stand as close together and try to suck the air out of the other's lungs. 

 

They were panting, trying to reclaim all of the breath they lost, when Nico pulled back finally, and took a small step away to not be as tempted but still with Percy's arms around his neck and his own hands bunch into Percy's clothes. They laughed a little at the thought of how caught up they became, Nico leaned in to peck Percy's lips once more before making sure they were disconnected, as odd as it felt. 

 

"I should go." Nico whispered to the still-small space between them. Percy nodded, not saying anything. "I'll text you later." Percy nodded again, smiling wider. 

 

"Okay, I'll be waiting." 

 

"If I don't reply for more than thirty minutes, assume I'm either dead or asleep." 

 

"Great things to consider if you don't reply, though I'm going to lean more towards you sleeping, the thought is more comforting than you not replying because you got murdered." Percy tells him, awkward look on his face at the words, he chuckles nervously. 

 

"Well, they're the only possibilities if I'm not speaking to you, how could anybody not want to reply?" Nico asked, reaching out to run his fingers over Percy's jaw lightly. 

 

"Such a gentleman." 

 

"Always." Nico stood for another few minutes before heaving a deep sigh. "I really,  _ really _ should be going now." 

 

"I know, you said that nearly fifteen minutes ago." Percy smirks. 

 

"Yeah, well it's your fault if I don't sleep well tonight." Nico accuses teasingly, poking at Percy's cheek as they each stick their tongues out at each other. "But I need to go, stop looking at me like that." 

 

"Like what?" 

 

"I don't know what it's like, but it's like  _ that _ ," Nico gestures to his entire face, where Percy couldn't help but smirk at the distress in Nico's voice and his eyes just sparkled so much so it looked like waves in the ocean, despite how the night was growing dark. "You look at me with such...I don't know. Adoration, I would say if I had to take a guess. But also like you wouldn't hesitate to get me into bed the second I gave you the chance." 

 

"I beg to differ on the whole bedding thing, because you literally look like you want to devour me half of the time. And I can't be blamed for that." Percy says this matter of factly with a nod of his head as if to say that Nico can't object to it because he just can't. "Even if, quite frankly, you deliberately look like you're trying to seduce me to get me into your bed. How else would you explain the suit when you usually come in jeans? I know you like to be punctual and would sacrifice getting changed, but it's really not fair and I think you should just take the suit off." 

 

"What, right now?" Nico asks, daring Percy to respond. 

 

"Well, no. Because I don't want to have had you arrested for public nudity before next Wednesday." 

 

"I'm sure I wouldn't be in jail that long anyway." Nico shrugs, leaning forward for one, very final, absolutely-the-last, kiss on Percy's cheek before getting in his car before either of them can think to say another word, and drives off back to his apartment while Percy locks up and does any final cleaning he can think of doing before he starts on work preparations for tomorrow. 

 

It's barely eight, and Percy from upstairs can hear his mother trying to reason with Gabe over something. But no smashing or loud noises yet so Percy doesn't want to antagonize the situation with the bastard by showing his own face. As Percy is mixing some batter together to store for the morning, his mother comes down with his rucksack in hand and he becomes worried for a second. 

 

"Percy, sweetie, just for tonight, I want you to go to Rachel or Grover's house and spend the night. And I don't want you to be here until ten in the morning at the earliest, okay?" His mom asks, pleading with him silently with the worn out look in her eyes which makes him crumble out of slight guilt. 

 

"Sure, what's his issue with me this time?" Percy asks, finishing his current task before washing his hands. 

 

"He...saw you...and Nico. It didn't make him very happy. I'm sorry Percy, you know I love you and I don't mind who you love or are attracted to either, but just." She sighs, and he can see that it took a lot for her to make sure Gabe didn't come down and knock Percy out or something. For, really, no reason. 

 

"I get it mom, don't worry, I'll call Grover once I'm out of the café." Percy agrees with a small, tight smile. He doesn't want to leave his mother alone with her, but if it's what she's asking (and he knows it will make Gabe happier, therefore his mom also) then he'll do it. No real questions asked. 

He takes the bag and kisses her cheek, trying to leave as quietly as possible as he picks up his phone and charger from behind the counter and immediately dials Grover's number after unlocking the door and shutting it behind him again. 

 

"Hey man," Grover says when he picks up after two rings. 

 

"Hey, are you at home right now?" Percy asks, because he knows that sometimes he goes and spends the night at Juniper's when her parents are away. Not that they don't like him, just that they have to sleep in separate rooms when they're there. 

 

"Nah, I'm at Juniper's." Ah, just as Percy expected. 

 

"Okay, that's cool man, I just wondered that's all." Percy said, trying to keep his tone light. 

"Do you want me to come and get you, I can tell that you're asking because Gabe wanted you out of the house for the night." 

 

"No, it's cool, hang out with Juniper, honestly." And he meant it, why should he force Grover to ditch his girlfriend when he called two minutes in advance of actually arriving at his place, had he been in. 

 

"Okay, if you're sure. I know Rachel's free tonight anyway so you can spend the night at her's." 

 

"She's always free, but sure, enjoy your night, Grover." 

 

"You bet I will." 

 

"Too much information there buddy." Percy tells him before ending the call to call Rachel just after. 

 

"Hey Percy," she's slurring the words slightly, so she's had a drink from her father's liquor cabinet. Probably whiskey, or vodka. And she really can't handle her drinks, especially those drinks. 

 

"Rachel, I'm coming over." he tells her simply, and kind of slowly to hope that she understands properly. 

 

"Okie dokie Perce, the door's wide open." He knows that she doesn't mean it literally, but the thought that Rachel in this state leaves him worried that she might actually do it. He sighs a little while rolling his eyes and telling her he would about twenty minutes. She lived at the other side of the town, the really nice side of the town where all of the houses were at least three stories tall and about five bedrooms at least with two bathrooms and a big kitchen. Rachel had an entire floor to herself, and her father rarely stepped up there since he was too busy to even call her when he wasn't around (which was most of the time) and when he was home then he couldn't be bothered to go up there. 

 

Once he got there, he was relieved to find that the door was actually closed, but unlocked, so he locked it and placed the key on the table beside the door before going up the stairs to the fourth floor - Rachel's. 

 

Her floor had two bedrooms and a bathroom. She had said that Percy could have the other room on her floor, and was decorated partly for him since Rachel never had any other guests, and the guests her father had stayed in any of the rooms on the floors below. Except Percy and Rachel usually ended up falling asleep in her bed anyway after a disney movie, so the fact it was his room is more of a formality than anything. 

 

She was drunk though, with half a bottle of vodka left and barely the dregs from the two whiskey bottles. She was laid on the floor and giggling to herself when Percy stood over her with an eyebrow raised in judgement. 

 

"Drink with me!" she declared as she saw him. 

 

"No, now, I'm going to go and fetch you a couple of bottles of water, and you're going to try and get changed while I do so. After that we'll brush your teeth and settle in bed for a movie, okay?" Percy told her, dropping his bag by her chest of draws to get out some pyjama shorts and a tank top to pass to her for her to get changed into. She giggled, nodding her head before trying to undress herself, but getting the zipper of her jacket caught in her hair and crying out in pain because she just tried to take it over head instead of unzipping it. While amusing, Percy just shook his head to help her out and, upon looking at her clothes, decided there was nothing else she could injure herself with before leaving the room to get her some water. 

 

When he returned, he saw how safely she managed to not injure herself in some way while getting into her pyjamas, he took her hand and led her to the bathroom so she didn't fall over on the way and put everything together and in her hand that she needed to brush her teeth, which was relatively easy. It usually was once getting her into her clothes for the night before she fell fast asleep. 

 

Before he left the bathroom he got her some aspirin for the morning, as she would probably have one hell of a headache, which he kind of pitied her for. Then again he'd never drunk as heavily as her, or at least, when he had, he was not a lightweight like her. 

 

He was in pyjamas himself by the time he had gotten Rachel to drink half a bottle of water and they'd settled on the movie of Beauty and the Beast to watch (which no doubt Rachel would fall asleep within five minutes anyway, but oh well). That's when he thought to check his phone, there was a text from Nico sent thirty-seven minutes earlier and Percy flushed with guilt before typing out a response, explaining he was sorry but he was helping his drunk friend. 

 

Nico says it's fine, and then asks Percy what he's doing. At one point he mentions how Rachel is asleep, draping herself all over him - not those exact words - and Nico's response is  _ Oh? _ and Percy..well he really wants to backtrack a couple of hours to when he and Nico refused to stop kissing each other. So he quickly explains how she is, in fact, a raging lesbian and the only reason she was drunk was because a girl she had a huge crush on and thought might ask her out after they slept together, Annabeth or something, has ignored her for two weeks now and when she ran into her today she was making out with some other girl. All of this had been sobbed out to Percy while they were in the bathroom, and he just stood there comforting her, rubbing her back while she cried into his shoulder. 

 

Percy never had those issues, mostly because he was currently very one-track-mindly focused on Nico, but also because he worked constantly and never really thought about dating anybody, until Nico came along, but also because his first relationship (ignoring what he had with Rachel when they were twelve) was when he was fourteen and they'd barely held hands, never mind anything else. Then the guy moved away anyway so it's not like he's even around anymore anyway even if Percy weren't so focused on Nico. Plus, tall, blonde, and cocky aren't really what he looks for in a guy. 

 

But they talk until late (or early) into the morning, and Nico swears he will murder Percy when he sees him if he falls asleep in the meeting he has in the morning. Percy actually laughs out loud at that, and when he tells Nico as such he says how he knows how to murder without being caught and how to dispose of a dead body and where. Percy can't tell if he's joking or not over text, but he assumes by the laughing emojis that come after it that he is. He also feels extremely lucky that he doesn't have to go to work until ten at the earliest, because it's just gone three in the morning when Nico says goodnight to him at last. 

 

Still, Percy wakes up at seven still, an amazing achievement in his eyes. So he goes down to make both him and Rachel breakfast, whether she decides to be up before it goes cold is up to her. The house is rather silent, Rachel's father on some kind of a business trip for two weeks so nobody but Rachel in the house. Even the chauffeur stays with his own family since Rachel rarely uses the car when it's her on her own. Almost always then. 

 

To change the silence and make it more comfortable, for himself, Percy turns on the radio and turns up the speakers. He doesn't know if it can be heard on Rachel's floor, but he presumes not. 

 

However because the music's so loud, and he's singing under his breath to an upbeat love song he doesn't know how he knows the lyrics to, he doesn't notice when she comes in and is leaning against the doorframe with an amused smirk gracing her lips. Her head hurts, but the fact she can see Percy so relaxed in her house, even after so many years, it makes her feel happy and relaxed and at peace. Even though she could never consider Percy boyfriend material, even if they were both straight, but she definitely couldn't live her life with as much sanity as she does without him. 

 

Not to mention, the look on his face when he yelps and jumps when he turns around to see her stood at the door is something she could never live without. 

 

He finishes putting the pancake he made on the plate with a slight pout, before turning around to continue to make more as he turns the volume down and Rachel jumps up on the counter beside the stove and relaxes while watching him work. 

 

"Thanks for taking care of me," she says simply, and Percy shrugs like it's not an issue, because it isn't. "But what has you in such a good mood this morning. I know it might feel better to sleep in unlike normal, and being away from Gabe is always a relief, but that's not all, is it?" 

 

"It's nothing." Percy's phone beeps for the first time that morning, either his mother, Nico, or Grover. Those, and Rachel, were the only people he texted now. Rachel's phone isn't even in sight. It beeps again, several times. And they both eye the phone before Rachel makes a grab for it while Percy just stands waiting for her to read through the texts. 

 

"Who's Nico?" She asks, before continuing anyway. "AKA: Mr Incredibly Hot Italian Guy I Want To Fuck Me From Dusk 'Till Dawn While I Scream At His Dirty Talk Because Just Listening To His Accent Makes Me Get A Boner." 

 

"His name doesn't say that at all," says Percy indignantly. 

 

"No, but that's just an assumption I'm making from his name and reading up these texts. How are you awake on like five hours of sleep right now? You guys spoke for literally as long as you slept." 

 

"Nico is Nico. There's no other way to describe it." Percy shrugs, thinking it a good enough answer. 

 

"Have you slept with him?" 

 

"No." 

 

"Have you gone on a date with him?" 

 

"Yes." 

 

"Where, when, and what?" Rachel needed to know if this guy was good enough for her best friend, and make sure he's treating him right. 

 

"He's friends with one of the Starbucks managers around here and asked that she..possibly close a little early for us the night before last, so it was just us and her, but she was mostly just sat behind the counter working on some sketches of clothes, from what I could tell. We had the place to ourselves pretty much eleven when we decided it would be more polite to her so she could lock up and go sleep because she seemed exhausted." Percy explained to her, dopey smile making it's way onto his face. 

 

"I'm glad that you had as much fun as you seemed to. Did you only get his number yesterday though?" She locked the phone and placed it back on the counter. 

 

"Well, yeah, because he usually just comes into the café instead and we talk there. It wasn't until last night because I asked him if he would come to the café for a certain time for another date, but I didn't specifically say that, and he asked for my number so that he could tell me if he couldn't make it - he doesn't come in every day, and sometimes things come up which means he has to leave quickly." In the space of time they've been talking, Percy managed to make four more pancakes, with still some batter left. So he carries on making them in case Rachel wants one later, cold or not. 

 

"What... _ does _ he do?" She asks, curiously. 

 

"No idea, we've never really spoken about it." 

 

"What's his last name?" 

 

"Never came up in conversation." Percy shrugs. 

 

"He's Italian, told you to call him Nico - kind of a shortened version of Niccólo - and you don't know what he does for a living? Not to mention that he said he knew how to kill you and dispose of a body without getting caught? Percy, I think you might be dating Niccólo di Angelo, you know, heir to the Italian mafia around here." Rachel tells him, and for a moment, Percy thinks. Something he doesn't do all that regularly. "Doesn't it seem fishy to you that he's not told you this stuff and everything?" She questions. It's not so much that she worries for him, because if Nico's taking a shining to her best friend like he seems to have ( _ expected as much, Percy's the best,  _ Rachel thinks to herself smugly knowing that nobody will ever replace her, and Grover too, as his best friends), then it means that he cares very deeply for him, probably, especially if he wants something serious. 

 

"And?" Percy says after a minute of her daydreaming. "So what if Nico is mafia? Like I said, Nico is Nico, and I care about him and don't care if he's a part of the mafia. If anything, that actually works out in mine and my mother's favour." It was smart, to think that, and he's probably right, Rachel thinks. But still-

 

"Percy, aren't you the one that refused to walk here by yourself for a fortnight last year because I just happened to let it slip that some of the mafia lived around here, despite the fact they'd lived here for years." It's not a question, and the memory is quite humiliating as Rachel reminds him, but he just nods. 

 

"Yes, The Mafia is terrifying. Nico is not terrifying. Nico is childish, and silly, and probably the best damn kisser on the earth. So, Nico is Nico. Even if Nico is mafia." The more Percy thinks about it, the more he  _ thinks  _ about it. His first thought at hearing Nico could be mafia wasn't so much a thought, more of internal screaming while his brain froze. But thinking about that possibility allowed it to sink in, and it made sense. And Nico looked good in suits so what did it really matter? Nico in suits is all that really mattered in the world. Percy laughs at himself, internally, because somehow that's true. When it came to Nico being heir to the mafia, it really just meant that he owned at least six suits. All of which Percy could see him in and then undress him from. Percy licked his lips subconsciously and sighed. 

 

"-cy! Percy!" Rachel was snapping her fingers in front of him and screaming, he realised why when the smell of burning hit his nostrils and he spun around to turn the stove off before the alarms went off and Rachel opened the windows to get rid of the smoke and make sure they didn't. "You were thinking about all the suits he would own, weren't you?" she asks with a slight laugh to it, Percy grinned sheepishly, was he really that predictable? 

 

"He looks good in a suit," he admits defeat with a shrug and a smile, he can't help it. 

 

After that he gives up on cooking, fearing that he'll daydream again, so they just eat the pancakes he'd already made and they speak about random everything. Having their usual late night conversation at eight thirty in the morning because she was too drunk to last night. She asked why he had come over in the first place, because she knows she didn't ask him to. 

 

"Ah, well, Gabe kind of, saw me and Nico making out in front of the café last night before Nico left and despite not going up to us or anything, my mom said it would be better if I came to yours or Grover's and Grover was with Juniper so I came here." Percy explains once he practically inhaled his second pancake. 

 

"Fair enough." She shrugs at him and speaks with her mouth full. "You know. Percy, I've been thinking. Only recently to be honest. But, I was wondering, and of course you don't have to agree or anything because I mean why would you, it's probably a ridiculous idea which you're going to reje-" 

 

"Rachel, what's the idea, you're rambling. No need to be nervous," he assures her. 

 

"Moveinwithmehere." She says in too much of a rush for even Percy to understand.

 

"What was that?" She takes a deep breath. 

 

"Move in with me, here." she says again, preparing for rejection. 

 

"Rachel, you know I would love to, I love it here and you're the best roommate and I love you too. But I couldn't leave my mom to live with Gabe on her own." he tells her. It was something he had thought about in the past, and her father had made it clear that he was welcome here any time he liked. 

 

"I know, I know." She sighs. "I just thought maybe you would consider it anyway." 

 

"I have. And I don't think I could do that to my mom. If Gabe wasn't around then I would very happily move in with you, and I think somebody will end up shooting him some time soon with how much he's trying to screw over the mafia, so once that happens, then I will ask my mom and I will very happily move in with you if she agrees." 

 

"Of course she'll agree." Rachel snorts, "She loves me." 

 

"Yeah, well your dad loves me." Percy counters. 

 

"Oh I know, trust me." Rachel agrees, raising her eyebrows. 

 

"Ah well. Are you showering first, or am I?" Percy asks. Despite the fact there is three bathrooms, both of them only like to use the one on Rachel's floor. Plus it's where Percy keeps all of his shower stuff and spare toothbrush. 

 

"You can go first," she says, "but please reply to Mr Sexy Italian first and then wipe the walls once you're done." Percy sticks his tongue out at her as he walks out of the room, also showing her his middle finger. "That's no way to treat a lady!" she calls after him, all she can hear is his snort of laughter in return, but has to agree with him anyway and laughs herself. 

 

Once he's finished taking a cold shower, he still hasn't replied to Nico simply because he left his phone in the kitchen, and when he gets out he kissed Rachel's cheek in goodbye because he's leaving sometime between her getting into and out of the shower. There's fifteen text messages from Nico, including the ones from early this morning, cursing him because he drifted off during the meeting he had. Mostly they're just Nico trying to get his attention because he never replied. 

 

He apologizes to Nico for not replying, telling him he was eating and showering, but also says how it isn't his fault that Nico stayed up to talk to him and he would have gone to sleep not long after they started texting if Nico had said that he needed to. 

 

_ I still curse you _ Nico texted back, just as Percy was arriving at the café. It was as busy as it always is on a Saturday at mid-morning - meaning quite. Because nobody can be bothered to make breakfast so they just go out, or it's family tradition. He doesn't know, all he knows is that he has to get to the kitchen to help his mom out, even though she clearly isn't struggling. 

 

"How's Rachel?" she asks without looking away from the food she's cooking. 

 

"Good, she was drunk last night so I took care of her. She's okay this morning though." he says, before taking food out to the tables he's told to. Mostly she works there and he takes her the orders and the customers the food for the next hour until everything dwindles down, before people come in for lunch that is. 

 

"Mom, I need to talk to you." he says when there's only a teenage couple in the corner staring at each other dreamily over their drinks. 

 

"Oh, of course honey, anything. This is important, clearly, what is it? Is it Nico, is he already pressuring you into-" 

 

"Nope! Nothing like that mom," he tells her quickly before she starts embarrassing him. "It's about Rachel. And kinda Gabe?" he shook his head of confusion. "Okay, so we both know that Gabe is gonna get shot some time soon by the mafia, no offence to him or anything but it's true. And Rachel was, well see, she asked me to move in with her." 

 

"That's amazing sweetie! I know you always wanted to go to college and have a roommate, but then you didn't want to go to college so? But that's amazing." His mother is smiling at him proudly, ecstatic for her son more than anything. "But what does that have to do with Gabe?" Her eyebrows scrunched in confusion, not denying how soon somebody would be coming to kill him. 

 

"Well, because he is going to be murdered soon, can I move in after that?" he asks.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

"Well, sure, but why not before?" he looks away guiltily. "Oh no you don't Perseus Jackson! You are going to move in with that girl next weekend and that is final." 

 

"Well at this rate he'll be dead by then anyway." he mutters under his breath before talking louder. "Okay, sure, mom, if you're okay with that." 

 

"Of course I am! Oh this is so exciting! My baby is finally moving out!" 

 

"Okay, don't try to sound too happy then." 

 

"Sorry sweetie, I just know that this is something you've always wanted." she subdues herself and smiles lightly at him. "I'm so proud of you." she tells him, reaching out to stroke his cheek with watery eyes. 

 

The rest of the day goes on as normal, and they work through the lunch time rush as though it's nothing. Because it's just routine. To them, at least. And it's comfortable. 

 

Around four Nico comes strolling in, still clad in his suit from working today, and Percy drools momentarily, picturing him laid on a king sized bed surrounded by rose petals or something and Percy getting to slowly undress him and slowl-

 

"Hey Percy." Nico grins at him. 

 

"Hey, what's up?" 

 

"Nothing, I just have a couple of questions kind of mashed into one. Although one is more of a plead to your good-nature and taking some kind of pity on me?" Nico's grin is hopeful and Percy raises an eyebrow. 

 

"Go ahead." Percy gestures too. 

 

"Well. You know how you asked about Wednesday?" A nod. "Well I just found out that I do actually have to work then, but instead I get Saturday, Sunday, and Monday off. And I was hoping that you would let me come over at seven tonight? I would say tomorrow or Monday, but I already promised my little sister I would take her shopping, and Monday I wanted to ask you to come to dinner. I don't want to have to wait for reservations at this place for long, like another week, I wouldn't be able to handle it," he winks. "But because you asked me to come over first I figured you wouldn't mind switching for me? Please? I know it's a lot to ask, and with three hours notice, so I totally understand if not and I can cancel the reservation and come here instead on Monday but, yeah." His finish was lame and he recognises this because his shoulders deflate slightly. 

 

"Sure, you can come over tonight, and we can go out on Monday, I don't mind." Percy shrugged before saying, "I have a condition though." 

 

"I wear the suit?" Nico asked with a half-smile. 

 

"No, don't wear the suit. Wear casual clothes like last time, more comfortable that way." he tells him, and Nico partly agrees with him. 

 

"Fine, but Monday you have to wear a suit to dinner." 

 

"Okay." 

 

"Okay, so I'll go home and change and do nothing for a couple of hours while you stay here and do your work and then wait for me?" 

 

"Pretty much." 

 

"Right. See you later," Nico smiles at him brightly before placing a kiss on his cheek and walking out quickly, excited that he managed to push the date up. Only because he'd now been given a deadline for Gabe to be shot - Wednesday - and his stalkers got him enough information that he knows the perfect time to get Percy home on Monday to make sure it's done with a day to spare. Now his only question was how to do it so he didn't give away his cover to Percy. Or, since they've known each other and being close for quite a while now, would he be okay knowing that he was heir to the mafia? Probably better to not risk it, is his final thought on the matter. 

 

Once he got to his apartment, which he shared with his little sister Hazel, she was already in his bedroom and trying to something for him to wear. 

 

"I know how to dress myself, Hazel." He told her with slight teasing to his voice. 

 

"Yes, you know how to dress smartly in suits and pull of that look very well, if the looks you get from half the people you walk past are anything to go by. But you still need a little bit of help with how to dress casual. I'm thinking a very classic look for you, fifties style - white t-shirt and black skinny jeans with a leather jacket." She says while she puts a finger to her chin in consideration. 

 

"Hazel, I'm sure that it would be believable to anybody that if they asked if you'd died in the fifties and come back to life recently and you said yes." he tells her, pulling on her skirt slightly. All the netting underneath caused it to poof out slightly, but she definitely suited the look he couldn't deny. Honestly he's sure that, if he hadn't been introduced to her long after her birth when his father brought her to him and Bianca at ages five and nine, that he himself would constantly question if she was brought back to life from the fifties. But she was his little sister and he loved her very much. 

 

He trades out the leather jacket for his usual black bomber jacket, but he figures it pretty much looks the same. She stays and keeps him company until six, when she goes to Piper's for a best-friend-practically-sisters-movie-night. From then he manages to stop himself from pacing for all of three minutes and forty-seven seconds before he starts, wanting to set off and not be too early to see Percy - he had kind of sprung it on him and given him three hours instead of the next four days to plan or prepare, whatever it was he was doing. 

 

Nico couldn't wait to be with Percy in less than an hour, he knew it was a date. Of course it was. It wouldn't be anything else. Except, Percy hadn't explicitly called it a date. But that wasn't an issue, was it? It couldn't be. Maybe Percy felt awkward about using the word date? To be fair, he didn't say it either. So..maybe it was just a date without a name? 

 

Damn he really needed to get out of the house. 

 

He grabbed his keys, wallet, and phone before getting into his car and driving to his father's house first. There wasn't anything important going on, at least as far as he was aware, so it was probably safe for him to walk in and talk to his father for a few minutes before driving across the town to get to Percy just in time, if a minute early. 

 

That plan was aborted as soon as he walked in the house to hear moaning coming from who knows where just as he was taking his jacket off. All he could do was cringe as he got back into his car, trying to hold back from throwing up as he started to drive as far away from the house as possible. He was almost at the café when he passed the flower shop and thought he could waste some time in there instead. As well as getting something for both Percy and his mother. 

 

For Percy, he got a trio of roses - red, pink, and white. Juniper, a good friend of the family, spoke to him while he was waiting. Her boyfriend was there too, Grover, because he usually helped out whenever he could since he loved this stuff almost as much as Juniper and her parents. 

 

For Sally he bought soft yellow carnations, simply because he thought they looked pretty and would go well on the counter in the café. 

 

Grover asked how Percy was doing, having not really spoken to him recently. Despite classing each other as best friends, they rarely speak to each other aside from once every couple of weeks. It works better that way for them so that they don't overwhelm each other. 

 

Juniper secretly asks if he knows that he's the mafia heir, and he shakes his head. He doesn't know when to tell him, maybe he should just tell him and then shoot his bastard of a step-father? Or maybe Percy has figured it out, but won't bring it up? But then why wouldn't somebody bring it up? That is a pretty big secret to hide from somebody who you've made out with a couple of times extremely passionately despite not having yet asked one another if you're boyfriends or not. As Nico carries on trying to work through possible theories, or strategies to bring it up, he noticed that if he didn't leave now then he would be late (by two minutes, but still). 

 

He high-tailed it out of the shop with barely a thanks and goodbye over his shoulder before he was speeding, quite literally, towards the café. Only to slow down once he was going down the street. He willed himself to slow his breathing, and to then get out of the car with both sets of flowers in his hand. The place looked open, but when Nico walked in there was nobody else there. Even Percy, which confused him. 

 

"Nico?" Percy called from the kitchen. 

 

"Uh, yeah?" Nico called back, wouldn't it be obvious? 

 

"Oh, hi." Percy breathed as soon as he came out of the kitchen a second later, carrying two plates of fries with a huge grin on his face. Nico faltered for a second. So did Percy when he looked at Nico, almost tripping over his own feet. 

 

Percy looked...gorgeous, to say the least. He still had his jacket on, but the sleeves were rolled up which exposed his quite muscular forearms, and he'd changed his t-shirt since earlier, from blue with a graphic design on it to a plain grey one which was quite tight on his chest. And the jeans, when he walked past Nico before turning to him to ask where he wanted to sit, the jeans made his ass look like absolute perfection, and as though his legs went on for miles. Even if Nico is taller than Percy. 

 

Nico chose the booth in the far corner, because despite them being alone it still offered more privacy and felt more reclusive. 

 

He'd left the carnations on the counter but blushed as he gave the roses to Percy before sitting down. Eyes not wanting to look at Percy but they kept straying towards him anyway. Percy had thanked him quietly before going to put them in a vase, along with the carnations he didn't notice at first, before coming back. From the kitchen, Nico heard him drop something (metal; it clanged) and swear, before he came back out a minute later, the bottom of his jeans wet but otherwise fine. 

 

Before he sat, he took Nico's hands and interlocked their fingers as he leaned down to kiss him gently, supposed to be quick, but Nico added heat to the flames by running his tongue over the seam of Percy's mouth. Percy had control at first, being the taller one for once, but Nico soon got it back until Percy pulled away quickly. 

"If we don't stop now then we probably won't at all." He gives in explanation, sitting down. And Nico has to agree. Another moment longer and he would have moved himself and Percy so that Percy was straddling him and they would never get to the date. "Oh, wait a minute, I forgot to get drinks." Percy runs a hand through his hair as he goes back into the kitchen to get the milkshakes he made just five minutes before Nico came and put them in the fridge to keep cool. 

 

Nico smiled at him as he sat back down and they started the date as normal. It was nice, to say the least. Relaxed and peaceful. Like most of the things they did together, hopefully it would be the same on Monday despite the not-so-relaxed setting. But Nico just wanted to take Percy out to a nice and fancy place, mostly to see him in a suit, but also because he wanted to and partly thought he deserved it from working himself half to death half the time it seemed. 

 

There was also the testing the waters in seeing how well he would fit in with mafia lifestyle but honestly he didn't care so much about that as long as Percy had fun. 

 

Despite the fact it was well into summer, and so the sun was out relatively late still, they talked until the moon and the stars were out, and Nico was hoping Hazel would take pity on him being tired in the morning and postpone the brother-sister shopping trip and dinner for a couple of hours. Only because how was he supposed to not stay up for a few hours into the morning, really, when Percy had somehow ended up straddling him within the past fifteen minutes and now they had been kissing for just as long. 

 

He knew Percy thought, as well as himself, it was too early to do anything to sort out the fact his pants were becoming fairly uncomfortable fairly quickly, not to mention that they were in the café which would end up being awkward and Nico would feel bad for the people that sat here because no matter how quickly it was cleaned up, they would still be sitting somewhere that two (incredibly attractive and horny) people had had sex. And Nico wouldn't be able to face that. Plus, Percy would never take him upstairs because even though he hadn't said it and was probably ignoring it, Nico had heard Gabe come back at some point within the past hour. Neither of them want to be around him. 

 

So they just stayed there, in the booth, kissing and ignoring the problems in their pants that they both knew they would have to relieve themselves of later, even if at first the problem went away. 

 

Nico did move to kissing and nipping and Percy's neck at some point though after a while, while Percy sighed and moaned (just slightly) while whining when Nico occasionally bit down too hard. He himself was stroking through Nico's hair, tugging occasionally when he did something he liked even more, while Nico's own hands were on Percy's waist and trying their very hardest to not go where they shouldn't, so moved from his waist to his thighs in fluid, stroking motions. 

 

Percy moves him away from where he's sucking a hickey into his neck, and Nico whines a little, until Percy's breath is warm and right by his ear as he whispers something. Nico isn't quite positive that he heard right over the blood pounding in his ears, and then it's pounding to other places more than it was before, and he's groaning as Percy takes some time to kiss down his jaw and around that area of his neck. 

 

"At, what, two twenty-seven in the morning? Exactly that time?" Nico asks, breathless. 

 

"Yes, if you want it, and by two thirty-one you'll probably be ready to sleep." Percy's voice is so arousing, and right by his ear, but Nico can't bring himself to tell Percy to stop. 

 

"Is that a challenge, mio amore?" Nico questions, already knowing (and partly feeling) the effect him speaking Italian has on Percy. 

 

"If you want it to be, from dusk 'till dawn, what do you say?" Percy questions, to look at him in the eyes, but Nico can only focus on his quite swollen lips which are pulled into a smirk. Nico leans forward to kiss him again, pulling back smiling wide and somehow more breathless. 

 

"I say, challenge accepted." Nico smirks back, before kissing him more. 

 

It's only half an hour more before they pull back for the night because they're both becoming too excited and they both agreed, mentally, that they couldn't have their first time in a booth in the café which Percy's mom owns, and both him and his mother work at. 

 

Percy moves opposite him in the booth again so they won't be as tempted again, it works out kind of well until they walk to the door and stand for another seven minutes, kissing underneath the street lights. Not the most romantic lighting. But they make it work somehow. 

 

"Tomorrow, technically, wear your best suit." Nico tells him. "I'll be here to pick you up at six-thirty. Reservation’s at seven." 

 

"Okay, got it, will do. You too. Wear your best suit I mean." 

 

"Don't I always?" 

 

"I don't know, they get better looking every time I see you in one." 

 

"Thanks." Nico chuckled. "Tomorrow, when I'm killed by my sister for being too tired to participate properly in brother-sister shopping trip and dinner day, I'm blaming you and my unresting soul will haunt your ass because you are to blame." Nico yawns as he talks. 

 

"Uh huh, which part of your unresting soul is going to haunt my ass?" Nico laughs with Percy, snaking his hands down to pinch Percy's butt, at which he jumped. "Ow, not my tush." he says, and Nico rubs the area he pinched in apology before leaning up to kiss him again for a moment. 

 

"You say that and you basically already volunteered to have your ass destroyed by me from dusk 'till dawn starting Saturday. You actually suggested it." Nico says with a cheeky smile, poking his tongue out quickly, retracting it when Percy goes to bite it in teasing. "Seriously, we should go to sleep, I'll text you later and I'll see you tomorrow." Nico pulls away and gets into his car as Percy turns around after saying goodnight to lock the café up, not bothering to close the blinds before going up to shower, where he took care of the problem he was still sporting, and then falling face first onto his bed, not bothering to put anything on other than boxers before falling asleep. 

 

Percy slept most of the day away, sleeping through any last alarms, Gabe leaving, everything. He slept for just over twelve hours, which surprised him immensely considering he sleeps for seven hours on a good night. 

 

His phone was dead, not having any effort to plug it in before sleeping, so he did as much before getting fresh clothes on and going down. It was like most Sundays, pretty much nobody in for the reason being it's Sunday. There's a few, but they come and go as usual. He's still tired, and his mother doesn't say anything about the marks literally making his neck look like he's wearing a patchy scarf - nobody else gets the chance to because after leaving the kitchen once, he just stays there. 

 

He bakes all day, and when it's empty his mother comes and speaks to him, asking how everything was and pointedly avoiding the subject of how the marks came to be around his neck, she doesn't want to know to be quite frank. 

 

"And you're going out tomorrow? At six-thirty? That's good then, only an hour and a half by myself then." Percy makes a confused face because the timings wouldn't add up. "Sweetie, you will spend at least an hour beforehand getting ready. Not that you need to, but you will anyway. Plus I imagine you'll shower again and essentially make yourself all prim and proper and be waiting outside after running around in here and through there like a madman, trying to act cool, and suave, and sophisticated yourself, to try and act like this isn't the most exciting thing that's ever happened to you." She says with a smile, proud and understanding, she had been similar when she was first dating Percy's father. She really hoped they wouldn't end up like that. But she remains confident still. 

 

There isn't much else to do for Percy now, everything finished baking and is waiting, or is ready to be cooked tomorrow morning. So he went upstairs and just went to watch a movie on his laptop, Deadpool, he'd wanted to watch it for a while but never got around to it. He also texted Rachel to bring the suit around to his for about five, knowing her class ended at four the next day meaning she would have plenty of time to bring it. After some time he began to feel sleepy again, somehow, so he put his laptop away and told Nico he was going to sleep, even though the other hadn't replied in fifty-three minutes, so it was safe to assume he was either dead or asleep himself. Though he'd been running around all day with his little sister so it's understandable that he was more tired. 

 

In the morning he woke up at his usual, early times, and was in the best mood he'd felt in a while. The marks around his neck had mostly faded now, leaving his skin pink and looking flushed, even if that wasn't the case. Still better than yesterday, but he didn't mind either way. 

 

When it came to five to five, Rachel still hadn't replied to the text he sent her yesterday, asking to bring the suit, and really hoped she could remember where she had put it last. Once it got to five fifteen, he had rung her seven times and was starting on the eighth as he paced in the café, gaining him a few looks from the customers. 

 

Not even thirty seconds later did the door burst open to reveal a panting, and sweaty, and exhausted looking Rachel with all eyes on her for a few seconds before just turning back to their own conversations and food. 

 

"Oh my god," breath, "so sorry," breath, "kept behind in class," breath, "couldn't find phone to phone chauffeur," breath, "ran here." Sally took her arm and led her to the chair behind the counter, where she proceeded to face plant it while she still caught her breath with the suit barely remaining in her grip any longer. Percy took the suit from her and laid it on top of the counter before going to fetch her a drink of water to help her. It took another few minutes before she was calm again, understandable. She had just ran at top speed for the past fifteen minutes or so  _ while carrying a suit _ from one side of the town to the other. She was an unbelievable best friend and Percy couldn't appreciate her and everything she is more than right this second. 

 

He kissed her forehead and brushed her hair from her face while thanking her, before saying he would be going to get ready. She simply gave him a thumbs up while keeping her head down. 

 

Just under and hour later he returned downstairs, getting some water to drink from a bottle quickly, he went out to the café where his mom and Rachel were talking. They stopped when he coughed to announce his presence to them. "How do I look?" he asked them. Rachel motioned for him to do a three-sixty, so he did, and then she whistled lowly. 

 

The jacket and pants were navy and the vest he wore with it was patterned navy and dark brown, but looking so they were almost interchangeable somehow, and the shirt he wore was brown, with a black tie and shoes. 

 

"Goddamn Jackson, if this guy does not want a quickie before going into this fancy restaurant then there is something wrong with him." Rachel said with a laugh, gaining a light tap on the arm in scolding from Sally at saying they did a quickie. 

"Thanks," he winked at her, and then turned to his mother, looking expectantly. 

 

"You look so gorgeous, honey," she started tearing up and Rachel wrapped an arm around her to stroke her other arm. "You're all grown up and it's so beautiful and amazing and I love you so much, and next week you're moving in with Rachel-" 

 

"You agreed?!" she says, but is ignored. 

 

"I just can't believe it all, right before my eyes too. My baby grew into a little gentleman who can wow just about any guy he wants." She was smiling proudly at him and he had his head ducked in embarrassment, but moved over to hug her anyway, kissing the side of her head as the door opened and Nico walked in. Looking equally, although more in Percy's opinion, charming and suave. Percy went to leave, but Rachel coughed and tapped the cheek she had turned towards him for him to kiss as well, so he rolled his eyes fondly as he did, but then walked over to Nico. Who wouldn't stop looking him up and down. 

 

Nico himself looked amazing in the black and white pinstriped suit, and when Rachel had mentioned before about him being heir to the mafia, Percy couldn't help but think this suit made him look exactly like the classic mafia boss you would see in movies and TV shows. 

 

Behind him, he hears Rachel say not-too-quietly how "If they don't get mobbed by a horde of horny guys and girls on the way there then something is wrong with the rest of the town's population." Percy considers himself flattered, though he really hopes that doesn't come true. But even if it did, they're taking Nico's car so it won't matter anyway. 

 

They don't say anything to each other on the way, Percy has the window next to him down slightly as they drive, ruffling his hair a little but he doesn't care. Nico told him the reservations were at seven, but they arrive ten minutes early. Percy's mind briefly flicks back to what Rachel said about a quickie, but thinks that they surely couldn't be doing that. He knew that the windows were tinted but they probably couldn't get away with it. If the other night was anything to go by. He is impressed though at how they both managed to keep everything inside wherever it should be, he has to say. 

 

"Percy, before we go in, I want you to promise that you will tell me if you get uncomfortable, right? Because so far we haven't gone to places like this, but I just...really wanted to treat you, I guess." Nico says, somewhat nervous and wanting to be sure. 

 

"Of course, but I probably won't. I've been places like this before, and fancier places too, even though it really doesn't seem like it. Because Rachel's father sometimes takes us when he wants to make a good impression, especially as a man of family or something like that." Percy explains. 

 

"Okay, just wanted to make sure." Nico nods, smiling at him kindly in affirmation. Percy make a move to get out of the car but Nico stops him. "One more thing." Nico pulls on Percy's tie so that they're close together and instantly they fall into the rhythm that comes with them and kissing, now. It's comfortable and there for another five minutes until there's only two minutes left before their reservation is due. "Sorry." Nico says before wiping his mouth with his jacket sleeve, and then Percy's, despite knowing he probably shouldn't, but what does it matter. "I had to do that before we went in otherwise I don't know what would have happened." 

 

"Do I want to know what would have happened?" Percy asks with a laugh as they actually get out of the car this time. 

 

"I don't know maybe next time you wear a suit we can find out." Nico winks at him and Percy plans to somehow wear this suit on Saturday, not caring too much what happens to it as long as he gets to find out what happens to him. 

 

Dinner was nice, but it lasted nowhere near as long as their previous dates, and they were leaving by ten thirty, but neither minded because Nico drove them to opposite the park before getting out and letting Percy out too, planning to take a stroll through the park with Percy. Mostly to waste time until he could somehow, secretly, get his hands on Gabe and shoot him. But still, a romantic walk through the park with Percy dressed as gorgeously as he was, with pants which showed off his perfected and sculpted ass, it was the perfect way to end the date. He'd left the keys in the car because Luke and Octavian knew to get in the car by eleven fifteen - how long it would take for them to walk through the park, to then meet Nico wherever they could find him, somewhere around the café. 

 

They were his clean up crew, pretty much. Whenever they weren't fucking each other at least. They were his best people, aside from Frank, but Frank was assigned to, basically, be Hazel's personal body guard by their father. She was perfectly fine with having the seventeen-year-old hunk of muscle hanging out with her. Not like it was against his will or anything. 

 

It was quiet, and they barely spoke above a whisper to keep it that way as they walked hand in hand through the park, lightly swinging their arms between them. Once they got through the park, there was only a five minute walk down the street before they were at the café, where Nico proceeded to kiss Percy, a lot. 

 

For Nico, it was a kiss that could mean goodbye, if Percy learnt who he was and didn't like it or saw him differently for it, which he would understand. For Percy, it was a kiss that was a promise to always stay by his side no matter what. 

 

Even if they were young, so what? They were young enough to be called young and not know what they were doing with their future together, or even if there were one, but they were old enough to know how to make logical decisions based on love and care and companionship. 

Nico let's Percy go after a moment, after he's sure that he heard the door open - announcing the bastard's arrival. He hopes Percy can just avoid him, and he can do the job cleanly without witnesses and then get the body gone before Percy even has time to think. He's said it himself though, that the bastard has it coming to him, so he'd probably just smile happily and shrug his shoulders while feeling happy, going to sleep and not even sparing him a second thought from upstairs. That would be perfect. 

 

Percy unlocks the door and goes inside, his mother had already locked the door and closed everything for the night, so there was nothing for him to do. She also said she wouldn't be back until sometime around one as, like always once a month, her and her mother-friends had a relaxed night in, where they drank wine and shared gossip. Like their usual meet-ups except late at night and with alcohol. 

 

Nico made it look like he was walking back to where he parked the car, but he waited just a little down the street for Luke and Octavian to arrive once he was sure Percy wouldn't see him anymore. 

 

Straight away Percy went to the fridge in the kitchen to get a bottle of water, he had heard the door opening before, but assumed Gabe would be too drunk to do anything other than go upstairs and pass out in a drunken stupor. 

 

He was wrong, and Gabe had brought friends again. A big one that he had never seen before, though he got a good look at him as he was turned around and pushed into the fridge door, forced to look at the four men who looked equally drunk, disgusting, and vile. The biggest one had him held by the throat against the fridge, cold and unforgiving as his head was smashed against it several times, with such a force that it caused the things on top of it to fall off, including flour. Unfortunately none of them distracted the guy holding him from tightening his grip and just holding him there. 

 

He was struggling to breathe more and in his vision he was seeing stars. It also wasn't the most comfortable position in the world. 

 

"You little bastard," Gabe spoke, close to his ear and invading all of his senses with his foul stench, before he pulled away and started talking louder, almost yelling."You've been keeping that little boyfriend of yours informed on me, right?" Percy is physically unable to give a sarcastic in reply, as much as he wants to. He gets even louder now as well, annoying Percy to no end when he can barely breathe as it is, and all he gets is these drunk bastards around him who stink to no end. "Did you know, you became the whore of the mafia heir? Did you? All so, what? You could have me killed? Is that how low you stoop?" He roared, face turning as purpled as Percy's without air going in. 

 

At that moment the door slammed open. 

 

"At least if he were my whore I'd treat him better than you do," a voice, which was definitely Nico's, snarled before four gun shots went off and Percy was released from the grip as he fell to the floor, not bothered about the blood covering him, his clothes, or the floor. He couldn't even stand and the last thing he heard was Nico calling his name as he was lifted into his arms. 

 

When he woke up, it was not in his own bed, obviously, but not in Rachel's or his bed at Rachel's either. His head was woozy as he sat up, but it didn't really hurt. He stood up and out of the bed covers to find himself in only boxers, fresh ones that he wasn't wearing the night he went out with Nico. Probably yesterday. But he wondered who dressed him.

 

There was the faint sound of blues music coming from the room on the other side of the bedroom door, which he opened carefully before he peaked out, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw Nico and his mother talking while sat at a breakfast bar drinking something, probably tea. He assumed, if anything, that this was Nico's apartment. 

 

"Good evening sweetie, how are you feeling?" his mother asks him as soon as she catches sight of him, and Nico turns around and gives him a little wave and a smile. He smiles back at them both. 

 

"What's going on?" he asks them, wanting them to fill in the gaps. 

 

"Well after you almost died because you were being choked, I took you to the family's medic's house because I wasn't sure if there were any other injuries, so he checked you over and basically said you're fine except you'll need lots of rest and maybe some pain meds if you're neck is in pain, but it isn't bruised he said, so we gave you some tablets that would knock you out for about fifteen to eighteen hours. So right on time. Then we also called Rachel because we figured you wouldn't want either of us or somebody you don't know to clean you up, and she brought you fresh underwear and did everything else. She went home this morning though because she had school." Nico tells him, nursing the cup between his hands. "So me and your mother were just talking. I called her as soon as I got you into the car because I figured she'd want to know. She met me here just after I brought you back." 

 

"Okay, cool, thanks for catching me up. Anything in particular you were talking about." he asks, knowing it was about him but wanting to know exactly what. 

"Do you?" Sally asks, motioning for Nico to tell Percy. 

 

"Oh no, it's fine, you go ahead." Nico raised the cup to his lips and took an exceptionally long drink, placing the cup on the bar behind him. 

 

"Nico and I were talking, and it's been decided that you're going to be his new boy-toy slash whore in return for us, well, more me, never getting bothered by any low-life bad guys in the mafia and basically I get protection." She said, smiling as though it was truly the simplest and most great thing to ever happen. Percy stared at them open mouthed and wide eyed for a second. Then he saw Nico crack a smile and turn away before he started laughing, Sally laughs too, but not as hard as him. 

 

"I can't." he says, laughing until his face is red from exertion and there's tears rolling down his cheeks from laughing, he's also biting on the sleeve of his sweater to try and make him stop laughing. "Perce, babe, your face was amazing just then, I couldn't handle it - I'm sorry Sally, you were doing great,  _ but did you see his face?!" _ Nico manages to calm down after another minute, and Percy's gone over to them and started poking him hard in the thigh in an attempt to get him to stop. 

 

"I did see his face, except I'm used to faces like that so it doesn't affect me so much anymore." Sally says, smiling still. "Percy, tomorrow I expect you in at eleven sharp, got it?" 

 

"Yes, got it." he nods his affirmation at her as he puts on her jacket and gets her purse before leaving, Nico telling her that Luke and Octavian are downstairs to take her to the café after cleaning up. 

 

Nico wraps an arms around Percy's waist and barely has to lean up some before he can rest his head on his shoulder, peaceful. 

 

"Thank you." Percy whispers, kissing his forehead gently. 

 

"Whatever for, mio amore?" Nico asks. 

 

"Killing him. I knew he had it coming, but thank you for making it then." 

 

"No need the thank me, I'm glad he's dead. I'm pretty sure most people are." Nico laughs a little and pulls back before pulling Percy to the kitchen and opening up the fridge. "Now, what do you want to eat?" he asks, "You can cook if you want, but I wouldn't suggest it in your current attire. Rachel only brought two spare boxers and one set of clothes." 

 

"I don't mind, make something quick though or else my stomach lining might start to digest itself. And yeah, they're what I always leave at her house in case of an added day or two to sleeping over." 

 

"Fair enough." Nico shrugs. "Also, I'm sorry, but there is no way to recover the suit. We tried. Usually the guy we go to is really good at these things, he's done it for white shirts for me before for crying out loud! But yeah, no can do on yours apparently. Where did you even get it, it's such amazing quality?" 

 

"I don't mind so much. And you know when I said Rachel's dad takes us to fancy places?" Nico nods as he takes ingredients from the fridge. "Well when I was younger I didn't have a suit, obviously, I was like nine, but my mother couldn't afford to buy me one because they were really expensive and Gabe just kept on taking any extra money before she could save it from him. So he bought me one and he's amazingly rich. And every time I got too big for the suit, he would buy me another, each time getting more expensive for the quality, as I would take better care of it as I got older. But it always stayed at Rachel's anyway." 

 

"That explains that then. If you want we could go get another one on Saturday. As a way for me to make up for dirtying up that one." 

 

Percy agrees to it, knowing he probably wouldn't win this argument, before standing back as Nico makes four grilled cheese sandwiches, three of which go to him and the remaining one for Nico. He's thankful and grins stupidly when Nico blushed because he kissed his cheek. 

 

"So, um, Percy. Quick question: doesn't it bother you that I'm mafia? I didn't even think you knew." Nico says, quickly taking a bite out of one of his own halves. 

 

"Well it wasn't me that figured it out, or even put it together, it was Rachel, and then it clicked. At first my mind was just blank, I didn't know what to think really. But then I remembered, you're Nico. And Nico is Nico, to me. I don't really care about the whole mafia stuff. It probably should bother me on some level, but it doesn't really." Percy then bites into his next sandwich. To Nico, that makes sense, and he smiles at Percy's logic. Simple or not, it's logical, and Nico likes that. "Also, just to be clear, I'm not actually your boy-toy right?" 

 

"You could be if you wanted, but I don't think you want, so you can be my boyfriend instead. They're basically the same thing." Nico smirks and Percy sticks his tongue out at him before going back to eating. 

 

The next day they go to the café together, Nico not having to do anything until later in the day, so can be there for an hour or two before going. Rachel is there already, temporary help for Percy's arrival before she goes to her early afternoon class after getting lunch while here. They both help out though, while they're both there. All three of them talking about nothing and laughing louder than probably polite. 

 

When Percy excuses himself to check on something in the kitchen, Rachel turns to Nico to glare daggers at him and pulls him close so they're practically nose to nose. 

 

"If you  _ ever _ think about hurting that sweet and gorgeous boy, I will personally castrate you and make sure everybody knows just how soft Niccólo di Angelo, heir to the most powerful family in New York, if not America, really is. Got it. Good." Nico gulped and she pulled away, looking satisfied with her threat just as Percy came back in. 

 

"What's up?" he said, noticing Rachel's smug face, and Nico's relatively terrified one. 

 

"Nothing. I just threatened Nico, that's all. I think I actually scared him too." She starts laughing lightly and puts her arm around his shoulder, pulling him closer. "I was deadly serious about the threat, but he knows we're friends, so it's all good." She tells him before realising the time, cursing herself for being late to class, probably. 

 

"I have to go too, I can drop you off if you want?" Nico tells her. 

 

"Sure, sounds great, see Percy - friends." She winks at him as she walks out, Nico trailing a step behind her after kissing Percy’s cheek in goodbye. 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Is it obvious I know nothing about the Italian Mafia? I'm sorry about that, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway even if I made it more about two soppy teenagers in love than the actual mafia and mafia business


End file.
